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David Hunter Position at CWV: Wine Buyer & General Manager Years in the food and wine industry: 13 years Favorite wine memory: Traveling to Italy for the first time and visiting my favorite Italian producer, Fontodi. It was a life-changing, amazing experience. Favorite wine at CWV: Being the wine buyer, I hand select every wine so they are all like my children. I can't choose just one. Favorite thing about working at CWV: The never-ending flow of new and unique wines. Region of expertise: Italy, but I love all wines and regions. Wine tasting/buying advice: Drink what you like but be open to trying something new. Click here to see David's picks. |
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Sarah G. Marley Position at CWV: Private Events Manager & Allocated and Fine Wine Buyer Years in the food and wine industry: 12 years Favorite wine memory: Having a private tasting at F. E. Trimbach in Ribeauville, Alsace France. Their wines are ethereal and the vineyards are breathtaking. Favorite wine at CWV: In the warmer months I like Riesling and Rosé! Try Donnhoff Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett or Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet Rosé of Pinot Noir. When it gets cooler out I like to drink fuller whites and reds such as Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay from California and JL Chave Offerus St.-Joseph, both are elegant and warming. Favorite thing about working at CWV: Talking about wine! I handle all the private events and teach a lot of the classes, it's what I love to do. Region of expertise: France (Champagne, Burgundy and Rhône), Italy, Germany, California Wine tasting/buying advice: The more you taste, the more you'll learn! Though we all have our preferences, mastering food and wine pairing is all about experimenting with different flavors, textures and components and understanding why something does or doesn't work. Click here to see Sarah's picks. |
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Krista Lee Position at CWV: Assistant Manager & Corporate Sales Years in the food and wine Industry: 10 years Favorite wine memory: Traveling through the Pacific Northwest specifically Oregon and Washington wine country with my husband on our honeymoon last fall. We were there right at the peak of crush. All of the valleys smelled of grapes. It was heaven. Favorite wine at CWV: Joh. Jos. Prüm Riesling Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 2009 Favorite thing about working at CWV: I love chatting with customers about food and wine. I am so passionate about all things culinary; I really enjoy sharing that with people. Region of expertise: Oregon and Washington Wine tasting/buying advice: Remember that wine can be used as something to celebrate as well as something to enjoy on a daily basis. It's one of life's only affordable luxuries! Click here to see Krista's picks. |
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Robert Fritz Position at CWV: Fine Wine Specialist & Spirits Buyer Years in the food and wine industry: 5 years Favorite wine memory: Tasting '83 Chateau Rayas at a wine dinner. It wasn't the best vintage for Châteauneuf du Pape, but it was the wine of the night among many legendary wines. It taught me that the best winemakers make great wine even in "off" years. Favorite wine at CWV: It's really hard to choose just one, my favorite wine changes depending on what I am eating. Favorite thing about working at CWV: The staff. Everyone is really friendly, knowledgeable and excited about wine. Region of expertise: France (Champagne, Burgundy, Rhône, and Loire) Wine tasting/buying advice: Drink what you like, but don't be afraid to try something new. Click here to see Robert's picks |
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Steve Lieder Position at CWV: Wine Educator & Sales Associate Years in the food and wine industry: Off and on since 1976 Favorite wine memory: Blending Pinot Noir with Dan Kosta of Kosta Browne Winery in a cave in Sebastopol California in 2006. Favorite wine at CWV: Fog Dog Pinot Noir Favorite thing about working at CWV: Tasting wine daily to be able to give accurate and recent descriptions to the customer. Region of expertise: California Wine tasting/buying advice: Try a little bit of everything from all over the world. It’s easy to do at CWV. Click here to see Steve's picks |
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Ryan Sacks Position at CWV: Sales Associate Years in the food and wine Industry: 4 years Favorite wine memory: Being on the very top of Ferrari-Carano's Alexander Mountain vineyard in Sonoma, California. Favorite wine at CWV: My favorite wine right now is the Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py 2010 (Organic). It's hard not to fall in love with a wine that smells like roasted lamb, has elegant flavors of cherries, raspberries, and has a finish that seems to go on for days! Favorite thing about working at CWV: Working with such knowledgeable people and tasting wine every day. Learning from the people that I work with and tasting the wines that we sell on a daily basis, gives me the opportunity to make your shopping experience at CWV enjoyable and fun! Region of expertise: California Wine tasting/buying advice: Don't be afraid to try new things. One of my favorite things to do is find new and interesting wines, and the only way to do that is to try something different than what you're used to. Click here to see Ryan's picks. |
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John Ferro Position at CWV: Sales Associate Years in the food and wine Industry: 1.5 years officially in the industry but a lifetime of reading and drinking. Favorite wine memory: One of my earliest wine memories is sitting on my front stoop studying for one of my college classes and drinking this great $5 white wine from France. It was years later that I realized I was drinking a Premier Cru from Burgundy! Those were the days. Favorite wine at CWV: Too many of my favorites are here and I keep discovering new ones. Favorite thing about working at CWV: The staff and management are very friendly and knowledgeable, which is a great asset for someone fairly new to the indufstry like myself. We also routinely taste wines which is also a great way to learn. Region of expertise: California; especially Napa Wine tasting/buying advice: Don't get stuck in a rut. There are so many great wines from all parts of the globe. Be open and try as many different wines as you can. |
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Paul Arena Position at CWV: Sales Associate Years in the food and wine Industry: On and off since 1986. Favorite wine memory: Touring the vineyards of Mendoza, in Argentina, and tasting through the range of cuvees in the cellars of Achaval Ferrer, one of my favorite producers. Walking amongst the vineyards with the Andes mountain range in the background was truly a singular experience I hope to enjoy again. Favorite wine at CWV: Giuseppe Quintarelli Rosso Ca Merlo IGT Veneto 1994. This single vineyard Valpolicella, made in the Ripasso method, and named after the Italian blackbird (not the Merlot grape) is a testament to the late, great Quintarelli's attention to detail, minimal intervention, and doing only what is necessary, and then only by hand, to produce great wine. The sweet fruit, almost raisin-like on the palate, the explosion of cherry and berry flavors, and an array of exotic spice, all combine to take Valpolicella to another level. I could drink this wine forever. Favorite thing about working at CWV: I am excited to come to work at CWV because our customers are great! They are knowledgeable, engaged consumers who want to know more about wine and spirits. They challenge me to help them deepen their wine knowledge, and that helps me grow, in turn. At the store we taste superb wines, and my colleagues are some of the most knowledgeable wine and spirits professionals around. I am both proud and humbled to be working with them. Region of expertise: France (Champagne, Bordeaux), South Africa, South America, Jerez (Sherry) and Portugal (Port) and the emerging wines of Eastern Europe. Wine tasting/buying advice: Don't be afraid to try new things. One of my favorite things to do is find new and interesting wines, and the only way to do that is to try something different than what you're used to. Click here to see Paul's picks. |
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Moriah Simmons Position at CWV: Web Editor Years in the food and wine Industry: 7 years Favorite wine memory: This spring I went to a Jura wine tasting, and I got to meet so many winemakers and taste their amazing wines. The region is well-known for oxidized whites, but they also have light, lovely red wines, and silky dessert wines. I felt like I could taste the regional similarities in all of them, and that made the concept of terroir more concrete to me. Favorite wine at CWV: Radikon Jakot 2005. I love so-called orange wines (white wine made with prolonged skin contact), and this is a great example. Stanko Radikon makes striking natural wines using the same techniques his grandfather did. Favorite thing about working at CWV:We have such a friendly, knowledgeable group of staff, and I'm always learning from them. That sounds like a pageant answer, but really, come in and talk to Steve about Napa, Sarah about Burgundy, and have David recommend a Barolo. You'll see what I mean. Region of expertise: I know more about spirits and cocktails than I do about wine, honestly. Which means I'd love to help you find a locally-made artisanal gin or the perfect rye whiskey for a classic Manhattan cocktail. Wine tasting/buying advice: Drink what you like, but keep exploring. It's the best way to keep learning, and it keeps you from getting into a rut. Taste everything you can get your hands on, and try to categorize what you taste. Does this wine taste like apple? Does the smell remind you of leather? Building a taste vocabulary will help you remember what you like and find more wines that suit your palate in the future. Click here to see Moriah's picks. |
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Elyas Beria Position at CWV: Art Director & Director of Web Operations Years in the food and wine Industry: 4 years Favorite wine memory: Exploring the Port lodges in Villa Nova de Gaia in Porto and sampling more Port than anyone should really have in one day. Favorite wine at CWV: There are so many! Anything by Dal Forno, anything by Bodega Numanthia-Termes, Yalumba Museum Reserve Tawny, Le Macchiole Scrio, Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 2 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough (under $10!), and so much more. Favorite thing about working at CWV: Definitely the people, both the staff and the customers, and, of course, the very talented and amazing winemakers that stop to say hello or teach a class. Region of expertise: Port, Spain, and any variety of wine that is unusual, quirky, or rare. Wine tasting/buying advice: Your tastes are always evolving and a particular grape can be made into a dizzying array of wine styles so always try new wines, even ones that you think you don't like, you may be surprised! And don't ever be afraid to ask questions even if you think it's a so-called "stupid" question. Click here to see Elyas's picks. |
